Timbers U-23 defeat Sacramento 3-2 in U.S. Open Cup first round

Forward
Mark Sherrod provided the game-winning goal in the 78th minute as the
Portland Timbers U-23s overcame a two-goal deficit to defeat the
Sacramento Gold 3-2 in the first round of
the 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday night at Jeld-Wen Field.

The
Timbers U-23s advance to the second round and will host the Charleston Battery of USL PRO at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, at Jeld-Wen Field.

The Timbers U-23s, playing in their second consecutive U.S. Open
Cup, controlled the tempo of the match, generating 31 shots and 14
corner kicks, but went down two goals on a first-half brace by Gold
forward Max Alvarez.

The Timbers U-23s responded with
three unanswered goals, tallied by forward Zack Foxhoven, midfielder
Gabriel Conelian and Sherrod to advance to the second round of the U.S.
Open Cup for the first time in the team’s history.

The Gold, who compete in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL),
took a 2-0 lead by the 25th minute, with Alvarez scoring twice against
the run of play. On a counter attack in the fifth minute, Alvarez beat a
defender on a run down the right channel
and drilled a shot inside the top far corner of the goal. In the 25th
minute, Alvarez chased down a bouncing cross into the box by midfielder
Eliot Chambers from the right side and tapped a shot back towards the
right post to beat a diving effort from Timbers
U-23s goalkeeper David Meves.

The Timbers U-23s scored twice within a three-minute span late in the
first half to level the score before halftime. After receiving a pass
from midfielder Eric Miller near the top right corner of the penalty
area, Foxhoven drove a shot past Gold goalkeeper
Dominic Jakubek inside the near post to cut the deficit in the 38th
minute.

Conelian leveled the score in the 41st minute. A pass from Sherrod in
the final third was broken up by a Sacramento defender and the ball
deflected off another Gold player and popped up into the air. The ball
fell to Conelian and he drilled an uncontested shot
into an open left side of goal to knot the score at 2-2.

Portland continued to put the Sacramento defense under pressure in the
second half.

After close scoring chances by Foxhoven and midfielder
Michael Escobar, Sherrod delivered the decisive goal in the 78th minute.
Defender Mitch Lurie played a ball
from his left back position up-field for Sherrod on a run towards goal.
Sherrod had the advantage on his marker, settled the pass and, on his
second touch, chipped Jakubek from just inside the box to seal the 3-2
victory.

The Timbers U-23s attempted 17 shots and 11 corner kicks in the first
half. Sherrod had a chance to put the home side on top just before
halftime with one of his four first-half shots, but his side-winding
effort from the edge of the six-yard box was parried
away by Jakubek